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Symptoms of High Blood Sugar

Topic Overview

High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) is most often seen in people who have diabetes that isn't well controlled. The symptoms of high blood sugar can be mild, moderate, or severe.

Mild high blood sugar

If your blood sugar levels are
consistently higher than your target range (usually 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) to 350 mg/dL in adults and 200 mg/dL to 240 mg/dL in children), you may have
mild symptoms of high blood sugar. You may urinate more than usual if you are
drinking plenty of liquids. Some people who have
diabetes may not notice any symptoms when their blood
sugar level is in this range. The main symptoms of high blood sugar are:

Increased thirst.

Increased urination.

Weight loss.

Fatigue.

Increased appetite.

Young children are unable to
recognize symptoms of high blood sugar. Parents need to do a home blood sugar
test on their child whenever they suspect high blood sugar.

If you
don't drink enough liquids to replace the fluids lost from high blood sugar
levels, you can become dehydrated. Young children can become
dehydrated very quickly. Symptoms of dehydration
include:

A dry mouth and increased
thirst.

Warm, dry skin.

Moderate to severe high blood sugar

If your blood
sugar levels are consistently high (usually above 350 mg/dL in adults and above 240 mg/dL in children), you may have
moderate to severe symptoms of high blood sugar. These symptoms include:

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